Book Recommendations

[GIR]

Title: The Riddle-Master of Hed
Author: Patricia McKillip
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Similar to our world, various countries each have their own rulers. Unlike ours, a being known as the High One has linked land-rule to family lines; the passage of land-rule has different effects depending on the region. On the peaceful island of Hed, the land-rule gives the ruler a sense of the current status of all the crops; the succession of other land-rulers is not always so pleasant. The story follows Morgon, Prince of Hed, as he journeys to Erlenstar Mountain to meet the High One and solve the riddle of the three stars that mark his face. He is led by Deth, the man who has been the High One's harpist (and political ambassador) for the past 700 years; ever since the disappearance of wizards from the realm. However, along the way to Erlenstar Mountain, an ancient enemy with an unknown name seeks to destroy him. "Who is the Star-Bearer, and what will he loose that is bound?"

[Wings of Light]

Wheel of time is/was good (Still reading it ), and so was Mister Monday & the rest of that series (that I've been able to get my hands on, anyways... ).

Why has no-one recommended Eragon/Eldest yet? D:

Title: Eragon
Author: Christopher Paolini
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: A young farmboy finds a dragon egg, hatches it, and sets off to kill his uncle's murderers...

Title: The Merchant of Death
Series: Pendragon
Author: DJ MacHale
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Bobby's rich uncle turns out to be a Traveler, a person who can travel through time and space, and he takes Bobby along for the ride.

Title: Dealing with Dragons
Series: The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: This series makes fun of all the fairy tales you've ever heard of, and some you haven't... Sick of being a 'proper' princess, Princess Cimorene runs away to become a dragon's princess, battling wizards and making unusual friends along the way.

[oogabooga]

Series:The Cry of the Icemark (Also the title)
Author:Stuart Hill
Genre:Fantasy
Small Synopsis:Thirrin Freer Strong-in-the-Arm Lindenshield, heir to the throne of Icemark, must lead her people to fight against the numberless people of the south who are slowly approaching their small land, after conquering all other nearby southern countries. It is lead by Scipio Bellorum who is said not even to be human, who slays and beats his own men for making the tiniest mistake. Thirrin knows in order to defeat them she must become allies with the Werewolves, undead, and vampires nearby.

This is an amazing book that you cannot put down once you start reading. It has a sequel called The Blade of Fire. The man who made Harry Potter into movies along with 20th Century Fox are trying to make a deal to turn this into a movie series.

[Wings of Light]

I read that! But not its sequel. D: *borrows from Library*

Title: Fire Bringer
Author: David Clement-Davies
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: A deer is born with a leaf-shaped mark on his brow... A mark of prophecy. The tyrannical Lord of the Herd fears it, and young Rannoch is forced to flee for his life, into the wild land beyond the herd's boundary.

[oogabooga]

Oh deer.

The sequel is pretty new, it might still be in hardback so I don't know if your library will have it.

[Wings of Light]

Yeah, it takes them months to get a new book in.

Title: Into the Wild
Series: Warriors
Author: Erin Hunter
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: A housecat named Rust ventures into the wild, joining a pack of cats named ThunderClan.

[UmbreonMatt]

The Warriors series is a bit... simple for my tastes. And this from someone who laps up children's fiction, too. I guess The Redwall rodents resound with me more than um, cats.

Ah well, Redwall gets my recommendation, though it is as said, a tad simplistic.

Series: The Belgariad / The Mallorean
Author: David Eddings
Genre: Fantasy
Synopsis: Classic fantasy, this series be. Clichés abound, but they're the good kind. Contemporary fantasy needs to be more like this. Farmboy Garion sets out on a journey with a mishmash of odd companions to recover a legendary orb as the world turns towards war, discovering on the way his lineage and destiny.

The Sword of Truth series also bears consideration. Latest book sees it headed into what looks like a chasm though, plot-wise...

Guess what genre everyone here reads?

[+Josh]

matt_hui_ck Wrote:Guess what genre everyone here reads?

Uhhh... romance?


Title: Heir to the Empire
Series: The Thrawn Trilogy (Dark Force Rising is book 2, and The Last Command is book 3)
Author: Timothy Zahn
Genre: Sci-Fi
Synopsis: This book, a continuation of the Star Wars storyline, introduces a brilliant Imperial admiral who unites the fragments of the Empire left after the destruction of the second Death Star. Using perfected cloaking technology, cloned troopers, and the help of a slightly unstable Jedi name Joruus C'Baoth, he aims to crush the newly formed New Rebublic. C'Baoth however has plans of his own, his price for assistance being Han and Leia's Force-sensitive children, who he plans to train as his pupils. This series is very enjoyable and a must-read for any self-respecting Star Wars geek.

Title: Outbound Flight
Series: Prequel to the Thrawn Trilogy
Author: Timothy Zahn
Genre: Sci-Fi
Synopsis: This book, set between Star Wars episode I and II, explains the origins of Admiral Thrawn, as well as C'Baoth's fall. A colony of humans, aided by several Jedi (among them Master Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin), sets out to travel beyond the reaches of the galaxy and explore previously uncharted space. They discover a highly advanced alien race called the Chiss, and a brilliant young commander by the name of Thrawn...

[UmbreonMatt]

cooldude42192 Wrote:

matt_hui_ck Wrote:Guess what genre everyone here reads?

Uhhh... romance?

0_o I like my romance of course... woven into fantasy or sci-fi, that is.

With regard to Star Wars, of those Josh picked, I can't say I'm too fond of them. I own them, of course, but... I much prefer New Jedi Order myself.

My favourite though, is:

Title: Vision of the Future
Series: The Hand of Thrawn (Duology, first book is Specter of the Past)
Author: Timothy Zahn
Genre: Sci-Fi
Synopsis: Ruins the end of the Thrawn trilogy, which should be read first, so...

Set ten years after the Thrawn trilogy. The faltering empire draws itself up for a final push with rumours that the legendary Grand Admiral Thrawn has returned from the dead, as the New Republic threatens to break up from within owing to infighting among the various species. Many go in search of the Caamas Document, which holds the key to ending the conflict within the New Republic. Mara Jade becomes stranded in her investigations into a strange alien ship, and seeing her in a disturbing vision leads Luke Skywalker to follow her in an attempt to help. The second book is a masterpiece on its own, believe me, with varied settings and a myriad of colourful characters, and the duology is simply magnificent. Beats the Thrawn trilogy any day.

[+Josh]

matt_hui_ck Wrote:

cooldude42192 Wrote:Uhhh... romance?

0_o I like my romance of course... woven into fantasy or sci-fi, that is.

That was sarcasm. I suppose that wasn't too apparent though, my bad.

matt_hui_ck Wrote:With regard to Star Wars, of those Josh picked, I can't say I'm too fond of them. I own them, of course, but... I much prefer New Jedi Order myself.

Heh. I'm currently plowing through a massive pile of Star Wars novels, and I thought I'd toss one that stuck out in my mind as being good. I haven't read the New Jedi Order yet, and if I've read that duology it's been a while. *adds to "request form library" list*

[+darwin]

Since everyone seems to be leaning towards sci-fi, I have to include this:

Anything by Philip K. D.ick..... and I do mean anything!! I can pretty much guarantee you've seen a movie based on one of his books. A Scanner Darkly, Paycheck, Minority Report, and Total Recall are all his. But what I'll do is review the grandaddy of them:

Title: Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (You would know it as Blade Runner)
Author: Philip K. D.ick
Genre: Sci-Fi
Small Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic 21st century, the ideal place to live is in the Mars colonies. Earth is for the scum. All sorts of species have been wiped out, but people feeling nostalgic for their pets etc. leave a market open for corporations to create incredible life-like simulacrae: birds, cats, sheep, snakes etc. Eventually they get so good at it, they create humans. Only they're TOO good and the humans have a hard time knowing who's a machine. Fearful of them, the government bans them from earth. Rogue androids do return though, and it's up to bounty hunters to get rid of them. (poor synopsis, but I don't want to drone on forever)

Why You Love It: The writing is very vivid.. You have no problem picturing this world. Probably every sci-fi writer has copied themes from this book (Big evil corporations, authoritarian governments). There's actual character development in here, rather than just the telling of a story. Also some good philosophical questions come up. If you read this, keep in mind that it was written almost 40 years ago.

Side note: I'm one of those people who enjoy hunting through used bookstores for those must-have gems of writing out there (the chase is better than the catch!!)..... Any time I can find a Philip K. D.ick, I get that rush of adrenaline of a good find! They're notoriously hard to find... Finding H.P. Lovecraft books has the same effect LOL

Edit: Hmmm... didn't realize that there was a censor on here... Honestly though, that's his name and if you're wondering just google the book. Mods, is there a way around this??

[FH: uncensored for contextual relevance]